Montclair, NJ — September 23, 2025 — The Montclair Public Library (MPL), in collaboration with Seed Artists is proud to announce The Peter Bodge & Seed Artists Jazz Library, a landmark cultural resource for the community and a platform for future programming.
The opening celebration will take place on Sunday, October 12, at 4:00 pm, with a free outdoor concert on the Main Library’s downtown plaza—indoors in the event of rain.
The performance features a remarkable trio: tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, recently named DownBeat magazine’s Artist of the Year; Seed Artists founder and renowned drummer Pheeroan akLaff; and bassist Jeong Lim Yang.
Montclair has long been recognized as a “jazz town”—home to an outsized number of significant musicians and, in recent years, to the Montclair Jazz Festival. Since 2016, Seed Artists and MPL have partnered to bring innovative jazz and creative programming to the community. In 2019, the partnership launched another national first: the induction of the nation’s first Jazz Laureate, the pioneering modern drummer Andrew Cyrille. Seed Artists continues to champion the public library as a vital free resource for education and culture.
The new Jazz Library is built from Peter Bodge’s personal collection of approximately 600 jazz books amassed over decades. The collection will be available to borrow through the interlibrary loan system to readers throughout New Jersey. Beyond serving as a valuable and accessible research archive, it will also serve as a foundation for future concerts, arts, film screenings, lectures, art exhibits, and youth programming at the public library via collaborations with creative partners throughout Montclair and beyond.
Peter Bodge, who died on September 5, was an educator, musician, and artist and he believed in sharing jazz as a living artform and a community resource. Through this generous donation, his vision becomes part of Montclair’s cultural fabric, available to everyone.
Support
Those wishing to support future jazz programming at MPL may donate to the Montclair Public Library Foundation and designate gifts for Jazz Initiatives: . The Bodge family has also created a GoFundMe in Peter’s memory: https://www.gofundme.com/f/
Event Details
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What: Opening Celebration of The Peter Bodge & Seed Artists Jazz Library
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When: Sunday, October 12, 4:00 pm
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Where: Montclair Public Library at 50 South Fullerton Ave
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Cost: Free and open to the public
For more information, please visit https://montclairlibrary.org/